~ Day by day with RA …

The Real Take-Away

My last post was a pretty [boring] account of my experience with knee surgery. After I posted it, I realized that I left out the most important part. For nearly a week, my entire focus was taking care of my health.

For that period, I didn’t have to worry about going to my job when I didn’t feel like it; I didn’t have to worry that the side effects of my drugs would interfere with my work; I rested when I felt like it; I ate light, home-cooked meals; I didn’t overdo in order to hit deadlines; I was able to follow my prescribe exercise routine; the only thing that concerned me was taking care of myself (thanks in large part to my husband, who was also worried about taking care of me).

The point being is that dealing with a chronic illness is a full-time job. Unfortunately there are too many of us who also work full-time, plus take care of family members, plus take care of a home, plus try to have outside interests such as charitable or social activities. It’s no wonder that we’re not only ill, but also exhausted.

It’s a Catch-22. One of the major reasons I work is for the health insurance that helps pay for the drugs and treatments associated with the chronic illness. If I could take care of myself full-time, perhaps I wouldn’t need [as many of] the drugs.

There aren’t any easy answers when it comes to dealing with a chronic disease. The choices and decisions are as difficult and complex as they come. But it’s important to understand that our health is a full-time occupation and give it the due it deserves. We must be both cognizant and diligent of the effect on our health when making decisions and commitments.

I hope that your take-away from today is a happy memory. Thanks for checking in.